Chapter 251 The First Lie
Although Qi Xia wasn’t inclined to laugh, he found himself repeating her name involuntarily.
“So, Qi tongxue[1],” Qin Dingdong smiled, “are you still willing to cooperate with me?”
“I’m not sure,” Qi Xia muttered, shaking his head, "You truly have a remarkable knack for deceit."
“Haha! Without you protecting me…” Qin Dingdong gently took hold of Qi Xia’s arm, "I’d be rather frightened."
Qi Xia slowly pushed the woman’s hand away. "Apologies, but let’s keep the conversation to words, not physical contact."
“Hm?” Qin Dingdong looked surprised and covered her mouth, “You’re not a virgin, are you?”
“Wha—” Qi Xia frowned. “Why are you asking that?”
Qi Xia’s face flushed slightly, and he instinctively took half a step back.
But after a moment, Qi Xia snapped out of it, shook his head, and said, “There’s no need. I’m married.”
“Married...?” Qin Dingdong was taken aback. “You’re terrible at lying. You think I haven’t seen men before? With that shy look on your face, if you were really married, this jiejie willwork for you as a servant for life, free of charge.”
"Is this not a bit tiresome?" Qi Xia's demeanor shifted to indifference. "Rather than pondering these matters, perhaps you should devote your attention to earning {Dào}."
Hearing this, Qin Dingdong slowly withdrew her hand and said, feeling wronged, “But you’re not planning to continue protecting me. I don’t know how to earn {Dào} on my own.”
Qi Xia narrowed his eyes as he looked at Qin Dingdong. There were so many people here... why was she so focused on him?
After pondering for a moment, he slowly spoke, “Qin Dingdong, continuing to cooperate isn’t impossible. How about I trade you a fan?”
“Trade...?” Qin Dingdong thought for a moment before flashing a seductive smile. “Qi Xia, what fan would you like?”
“I…” Qi Xia cautiously looked at the woman in front of him and spoke, “Anything works.”
“Pfft.” Qin Dingdong covered her mouth and laughed. “Qi Xia, when I was looking for you to team up earlier, you were already trying to trade fans with others, so I had you figured out from the start."
“I suspect…” She paused, her smile widening, “The three fans you have must all have the same fan face, right? That’s the only reason you’d be so desperate to trade with others.”
“So, cooperating with me is your only way out. If you don’t listen to me… I’ll tell everyone you have three identical fan faces.”
Qi Xia’s lips twisted slightly, his gaze fixed on Qin Dingdong, carrying a clear undertone of disdain.
“It’s been about twenty-five minutes,” Qi Xia glanced up at the digital clock on the wall, “Your threat will only last for five more minutes. When the next fan replenishment happens, everyone’s fan faces will be reset.”
"Is that so?" Qin Dingdong nodded, then pointed to a few participants in the distance, "Qi Xia, have you noticed that there are a few people carrying briefcases?"
Qi Xia had already noticed, but he couldn’t figure out what role the briefcases played in this game.
"What exactly are their identities?" Qi Xia asked.
"Qi Xia, it seems like you've retained your memory; otherwise, you wouldn't have entered the {Terrestrial-grade} game on the first day, right?"
"Indeed," Qi Xia nodded.
"{Terrestrial Goat}’s game is rather unique," Qin Dingdong squinted her eyes and looked at the participants in the distance, "If you're perceptive enough, you can keep earning {Dào} here. Those people... they’re here to capitalize on the situation."
The moment the words left her lips, Qi Xia was struck by a sudden realization.
"You mean to say... those people arrived with intent?" He scrutinized the group holding briefcases once more. "So, the briefcases they carry... are filled with {Dào}?"
"You are indeed quite smart," Qin Dingdong nodded, "This is like a microcosm of society. In this game, you’ll see everything that can happen in the real world."
Qi Xia felt a surge of curiosity after hearing that, his anticipation growing for what was to come next.
"So, how many {Dào} did you bring?" Qin Dingdong asked. "Besides the three I gave you, do you have any left over?"
Qi Xia didn't answer, just shrugged expressionlessly.
"If you don't cooperate with me, you'll most likely only earn five {Dào}, and with some luck, maybe {ten} {Dào}," Qin Dingdong continued, "But look at the expressions of those people... their goal could be dozens of {Dào}, how do you plan to compete with them?"
"Fascinating..." Qi Xia nodded. "So, {Terrestrial Goat} game has already gone through several cycles and has gained some recognition among the {participants}?"
"Exactly," Qin Dingdong nodded. "Everyone’s goal is to acquire three thousand six hundred {Dào}; the intelligent ones will naturally adopt the method best suited to them."
Qi Xia stroked his chin, knowing that things wouldn't be as simple as Qin Dingdong had described.
If {Terrestrial Goat} game truly allowed stable gains of {Dào}, someone would have already gathered the three thousand six hundred pieces by now.
In that case... where was the {variable}?
"So, Qi Xia... aren't you going to reconsider?" Qin Dingdong once again asked in a suggestive tone, "Why not give me a try?"
"Not for now," Qi Xia shook his head. "You can tell everyone I have three identical fans. It won't affect me in the slightest."
Qi Xia slowly turned and walked away. After taking three steps, he turned back and said, "But I think you're quite interesting. If there's a chance, I might introduce you to some {clients}."
Realizing her threat had failed to work, Qin Dingdong gradually erased her smile, sighing with resignation. "Alright then...I suppose I can only look forward to our next collaboration."
Qi Xia bid her farewell and returned to the crowd, surveying the participants around him once again.
He should have realized it earlier. Anyone who had been able to participate in a {Terrestrial-grade} game from the first day and were still present now were likely individuals who had previously played and managed to survive.
{Terrestrial Goat} game was different from the {Terrestrial Ox}, {Terrestrial Tiger}, and {Terrestrial Rooster} games—it didn't require teamwork, nor were there deadly confrontations. As such, it was much safer.
As long as you had the strength, you could continue to earn {Dào} in this game over and over, because in this game, victory relied not on others, but on yourself.